On 24th September 2025, we came together with partners at the lovely space at Platf9rm in Brighton to officially launch the next chapter of the UOK Brighton & Hove partnership. With breakfast, biscuits (thank you, Brooke!), and a room full of brilliant people, the morning was filled with connection, vision, and a shared sense of purpose.
From the start, the energy was about collaboration and community. In our icebreaker activity, partners shared the values that guide them in their work and lives. What emerged was both thoughtful and inspiring: curiosity (or as one partner alternatively called it, “extreme nosiness”), active listening, authenticity, care, patience, and collaboration. Some spoke about optimism and the warmth of community, while others championed disruption as a value – a reminder to reimagine how things are in the current climate. Curiosity, many agreed, is a gateway to compassion and inclusion.
Building a shared vision
After some energising games, we moved into a mini-workshop exploring our vision for the partnership. In small groups, we reflected on four big questions, including:
If we are truly successful in 5 years, what will be different for the people and communities we support?
How would you describe our partnership at its very best?
How would we want the people who access UOK services to talk about us?
If there were no limits, what would our ideal service organisation look like?
The answers were creative, hopeful, and deeply grounded in the work we do. One group envisioned a physical space, perhaps a “Churchill Square of wellbeing” where people could “shop” for their internal needs in rows of mental health and wellbeing services. Others highlighted ease of access, the importance of choice, and above all, creating services that feel safe, inclusive, and human.
Co-production and collaboration
We then heard from Tasha Barefield at Possability People, who gave a powerful introduction to co-production and the Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG). Her reflections sparked an insightful discussion about what true co-production means in practice,how it must remain at the heart of UOK, and how services can embed this in their work as well.
After a short break, TogetherCo’s Ali Nicholson and Sophie introduced the Central Access Point – the “front door” to UOK. They walked us through the client journey and the complex, brilliant work their team does every day to make referrals simple and effective. The Q&A showed just how invested partners are in strengthening the system, and the ideas shared will shape how referrals work from the 1st of October onwards.
Looking ahead
We wrapped up with updates on mobilisation, the UOK Strategic Steering Group, and communications channels for the future.
One of our partners at Lighthouse, a Southdown led service said, “I was very pleased by how engaging the meeting was, and there was a lot of space for conversation with other partners.” One of our new partners expressed that “It was great to get to know services and have an in-person chat with the people that run them.”
We left the room feeling inspired, and more connected. The reflections shared reminded us of that UOK isn’t just a partnership on paper, it’s a living, breathing network of people and organisations committed to making mental health and wellbeing support accessible, compassionate, and inclusive for everyone in Brighton & Hove.
